Looking for Business Insurance Coverage?

Why Architect Firms Need Business Insurance

Architects conceive and design buildings according to a client’s vision. Then you’re responsible for working with contractors to get the building constructed, all of which can expose architectural firms to some unique risks. And that’s in addition to the risks most businesses face, like property damage or data loss. Learn about insurance that architects typically need and often purchase from The Hartford.

Business Owner’s Policy

Most architects have a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP). Why? Because it helps protect your business in much the same way a homeowner’s policy helps protect your home and personal possessions.

By combining three basic insurance coverages that are important to virtually every small business, including an architectural firm, a BOP can help save you money while safeguarding the small business you’ve worked hard to build.

General Liability – helps protect your architectural firm from certain lawsuits alleging injuries or property damage occurring as the result of your business operations – like if a customer is injured at your office or one of your employees on a site visit, causes damage to a client’s property. It even helps cover certain claims of slander and libel against your business. Business Liability insurance does not cover liabilities directly arising out of the professional architecture services you may provide.

Commercial Property – helps protect the place where you do business – whether it’s a building in an office park or an historic home you’ve converted to an office – and the tools and equipment you use to conduct business, like drafting and design equipment, model building tools, and furniture – whether you own or lease them.

Business Income – covers the loss of income you incur when you can’t run your architectural firm as the result of covered property damage.

Architects depend on computer systems to design structures, draft blueprints, bill clients, track hours, and more. Now, consider the impact if you weren’t able to access those files because your system crashed and your files were lost. Computers and Media Coverage helps pay to research and replace lost data and the resulting loss of business income, if your architectural firm’s computers sustain covered damage or a virus corrupts your records.

Architects often store sensitive information about their employees and clients, including Social Security and debit/credit card numbers. If that information is lost or stolen, it could leave your business vulnerable to lawsuits and a damaged reputation. Data Breach Coverage helps pay the costs of notifying impacted individuals, managing public relations, good faith advertising, and more if personally identifiable information is lost or stolen from your architectural firm.

Architectural design projects often span months or even years. That means receivables can make up a large percentage of total assets for many architectural firms. Imagine what could happen if those records were destroyed by fire, water, or other unexpected event. Accounts Receivable Coverage can help pay the cost of researching and replacing your business’ account records, in addition to expenses to recover the dollar amounts owed by your clients.

Your business could be seriously impacted if important paperwork such as architectural plans, blueprints, proprietary designs, project documents, or inspection certificates were damaged by water, fire, or other unexpected event. Valuable Papers and Records Insurance Coverage can help pay to reproduce your architectural firm's damaged documents.

Professional architects rely on power and communication services. Business Income for Off-Premises Utility Services Coverage (OPUS) covers loss of income caused by interruptions in utility services beyond your control, such as when a storm downs power lines and knocks out electrical service to your studio. Unlike most other insurance companies’ offerings, OPUS coverage from The Hartford starts as early as 12 hours from initial interruption of utility service.

With OPUS, architects can get insurance that provides power interruption protection and safeguards their income against outages of other utilities as well.

It’s easy to expand your architectural firm’s Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) protection at an affordable price with The Hartford’s Stretch® endorsements that bundle valuable key insurance coverages. For architects like you we offer:

Basic Stretch

Super Stretch

Super Stretch for Business Services

Contact an agent or a representative from The Hartford about these cost-effective solutions that help take the guesswork out of selecting the right coverage for your business.

Additional Solutions

If you have employees, use a car for work, or work from home, your architectural firm may also benefit from:

Required by most states, workers’ compensation insurance provides benefits to your architectural firm’s employees for work-related injuries or illnesses including medical care, wages from lost work time, and more. And if the employee’s family decides to sue you, coverage can help your business with related legal fees.

Businesses, including architectural firms, have been turning to The Hartford for workers’ compensation coverage for more than a century.

Do you ever use your car or truck to visit a job site, meet with a client, or pick up building permits or office supplies for your business? A Business Auto Policy provides coverage generally not included in a personal auto policy. It can cover you or an employee of your architectural firm when an owned vehicle, used for business purposes, is involved in an accident.

If you run your architectural firm out of your home, you probably want a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP). A BOP provides coverage not generally available with a homeowner’s policy. Ask yourself, “Do I have business clients come to my home, receive mail or packages for my business at my home, or have employees working at my home?” If so, your insurance agent or a representative from The Hartford can help you select the right coverage to protect your architectural firm.

Certain coverages vary by state and may not be available to all businesses. All Hartford coverages and services described on this page may be offered by one or more of the property and casualty insurance company subsidiaries of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. In TX, this insurance is written by Sentinel Insurance Company, Ltd., Hartford Casualty Insurance Company, Hartford Lloyd’s Insurance Company, Property and Casualty Insurance Company of Hartford, Hartford Underwriters Insurance Company, Twin City Fire Insurance Company, Hartford Accident and Indemnity Company and Hartford Fire Insurance Company. In CA by Sentinel Insurance Company, Ltd. (CA license # 8701) and its property and casualty insurance company affiliates, One Hartford Plaza, Hartford, CT 06155.

The Hartford® is The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. and its property and casualty subsidiaries, including issuing company, Hartford Fire Insurance Company. Its headquarters is in Hartford, CT.